July 29, 2011; Metairie, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams during the first day of training camp at the New Orleans Saints practice facility. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

It’s no secret that the HBO reality series Hard Knocks is one of my favorite shows on TV, and after going a full year without it due to the lockout last season, I was greatly looking forward to the newest edition for the upcoming season. According to sources, however, it looks like the show is having trouble finding a team willing to participate. Pro Football Talk is reporting that HBO has set a deadline of June 1 for finding a team, and that some teams may be hesitant to participate after the bounty scandal in New Orleans and, more specifically, the leaked audio tape of Gregg Williams that ignited the whole investigation.

Teams are concerned that they will find themselves in the same situation if a group is there recording them every step of the way throughout the preseason, and I can’t say I blame them. As much as I love the show, I certainly wouldn’t let an outside film crew to have an all-access pass to my team knowing that Williams and the Saints are in their precarious position for the exact same reason. The article at PFT talks about the partnership between HBO and NFL Films, and how teams have had the option of reviewing episodes before they go an air, but I don’t think that’s the issue. As a coach or executive of a franchise, I would be more concerned about a crew member recording something they shouldn’t and either selling it to the highest bidder or using it to further their career through notoriety. In this media age, it seems almost foolish to give a group of people access to you regardless of whether you have something to hide or not.

I’m not saying that I don’t want the show to come back, but I will say that if HBO can’t find a team I will understand why. The deadline is a week away, so we will know something for sure very soon.

I thought we were pretty much done with the Gregg Williams Bounty Saga after his suspension was announced, but the NFL world was set on fire Thursday with the release of audio of Williams addressing his defense before a playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers. I have posted the video here, but let me emphasize that THE AUDIO HERE IS NSFW. So if you’re going to listen to it around other people, you better turn the speakers down.

I would never try to justify the whole bounty deal, but I have gone on record saying that I felt the NFL was a little harsh in their punishments to the Saints coaches and organization. After hearing this, it’s hard for me to side in any way with Williams.

Although I expect that this is what most defensive meeting rooms sound like before a game, the release of this audio makes Williams look worse than I ever thought he could. Any chance Williams had of his suspension being reduced or less severe than expected has gone out the window, and I think it’s probably safe to say he will never be the defensive coordinator of the Rams. In fact, he might never work in the NFL again.

Mar 7, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (left) speaks during a press conference as owner Jim Irsay looks on during a press conference to announce Manning

It’s nice to be writing about something other than Gregg Williams and bounties, and although I wanted to get back to the Combine Reports tonight, I decided against it. I will be out of town over the weekend covering the Illinois High School Class 1A and 2A state boys basketball tournaments, so instead of posting one tonight and taking a break, I thought it better to wait until next week to get back to it. Lucky for me, something pretty significant happened in the NFL world on Wednesday, so let’s talk about that. Although we have known officially for days and unofficially for months, the Indianapolis Colts released QB Peyton Manning. I thought having a press conference with both sides speaking about it was a little weird, but I guess they all handled it pretty well.

The Rams won’t be in the Manning sweepstakes, but this move still greatly affects the upcoming season for St. Louis. Bernie Miklasz talked about this over at STLtoday.com, which kind of sucks for me because I had already started writing this before I saw it, but I’m going to continue anyway because it’s a pretty big deal. Bernie talks a lot about how it will affect the draft, which is a very valid point. Washington and Miami are both major players for Manning, and they are both trade targets for the Rams as well. However, I’m still holding out hope that the Rams deal with Cleveland and their two first-round picks, so I’m not going to discuss that aspect right now.

What really has me concerned is that Manning could end up in the NFC West next season. The Seahawks and Cardinals have both contacted Manning’s reps already according to sources, so they will both be in on him when the bidding starts. For as much as I question how good Manning will be when he comes back to the field, it scares the heck out of me that he could face the Rams twice a season. He’s never going to be what he once was, but would he be an upgrade over Tarvaris Jackson or Kevin Kolb? I’m not even going to type the answer, because it’s a no-brainer. The one thing that makes our division so winnable is because there isn’t a franchise quarterback on any of the teams we compete with. Before anyone brings up Alex Smith, one good season does not a franchise QB make. I still think Sam Bradford can be a franchise guy, so that could be our edge going forward. But adding Manning to any other team completely changes the dynamic of the West.

I don’t know if the Rams have a chance to win the division this season, and I know the 49ers are very good, but I would think that if anyone gets Manning and he’s even close to healthy, that team instantly becomes the favorite. We have an uphill battle to fight anyway, so let’s hope Manning stays east so the climb is just difficult and not impossible.